


Peace in Death

by SleepyRedInk



Category: Naruto
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Far too late though, Gen, Tobirama and Madara are finally having their Moment, graphic description of motral wounds, not beta read we die like men
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-08
Updated: 2018-08-08
Packaged: 2019-06-24 01:49:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15619824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SleepyRedInk/pseuds/SleepyRedInk
Summary: Tobirama is dying. On an impulse he can't fight, Madara won't let him die all alone. And is rewarded with answers to questions he never asked





	Peace in Death

**Author's Note:**

> I'm tapping my feet into the Naruto-Fandom again after I got dragged in head first recently.  
> I'm not complaining xD  
> I hope you enjoy this little something!

The day Hashirama died, Madara couldn't quite put a finger on the emotion he felt.  
His best friend died in Battle, and with him the man that had stabbed him in the Back while declaring his undying loyalty to the village they build.  
The heavy feeling sat in his gut for quite some days, but at least Madara was still alive to archive the peace they had dreamed of all those years ago.

Long after came the day Tobirama was dying. The plain-white creature called Zetsu, made from cells of Hashirama, told him exactly where he was, what was happening.  
Madara really shouldn't care about the remaining Senju brother dying, slowly bleeding out in a forest all alone, surrounded by enemy Shinobi.  
He _deserved_ to die like this.  
And yet, Madara couldn't bring himself to just sit around and wait for Zetsu to tell him Tobirama was finally gone forever.  
He refused to think about the exact reason why he wanted to see the younger man so badly, offering a bizarre companionship while Tobirama took his dying breath. He refused to call it anything else than malevolence, taking joy in Tobirama's suffering, even if it was a lie.

Within few minutes Madara arrived at his destination and put a Genjutsu on the surrounding area so they wouldn't be disturbed. Not because he wanted Tobiramas death to be at least somewhat peaceful, oh no. He wanted this moment all for himself.  
When he reached Tobirama, the Shinobi he remembered as strong and proud warrior was nothing more than a pitiful view.  
Leaning against a tree, his head was already rolled to the side, looking in the direction Madara came from, expecting his 'visitor' thanks to his Sensory Abilities.  
His Happuri was long lost in the woods, and blood and dirt were smeared over his face and in his hair, dyeing the usually white strands in a muddy color. Knowing Tobirama, most of that blood wasn't his own. However, more blood was pooling under the left side of his Body, where his armor was broken off, with his right arm weakly trying to cover the gashing wound ripping open his body just below his ribs.

Madara came to a stop next to his legs and crouched down. Tobirama didn't break eye contact with him the whole time, and the older man wondered what he was thinking. There was no hostility in those tired, red eyes and for a moment Madara wondered if that foolish Senju even recognized him.  
For another moment there was silence between them, only broken by a quiet, but pain filled groan before Tobirama found his voice.  
“Its you...”, he whispered, and Madara could swear he saw a smirk on his face for a second.  
“I wasn't expecting you to welcome me into death”  
His voice was weak and strained, yet somehow soft, so very unlike the Senju Tobirama he hated.  
It threw Madara off a little and made him wonder exactly how real Tobirama thought he was.  
On the other hand, he 'officially' died even before Hashirama, so he shouldn't be surprised if the dying man before him took him for an delirium-induced Illusion.

“Who did you expect, then?”, Madara asked, curiosity getting the best of him. It was somehow ironic, that they only now seemed to get along, in the middle of another war, when all they wanted was Peace. Only now, that death was looming over them.  
Madara wondered how different things would have been if Tobirama hadn't killed Izuna all those years ago. Maybe he and Tobirama would have gotten along better...

“Izuna, maybe...”

The sound of his brothers name upon the Senju's lips left a heavy feeling in Madara's chest.  
“Why Izuna?”, he asked before he even thought about it. But really, why was he thinking about Izuna when he was on the brink of death?  
“Many reasons”, Tobirama replied, shutting his eyes close when another wave of pain washed over him.  
“Just look at me”, he continued, a bitter laugh following as he lifted his right arm a bit to expose the full extend of the wound beneath it. He quickly pressed his arm back on it again, though, as if to keep his guts where they belong. There was no way Tobirama would get out of here alive. Not with a wound like that. Not in the state he was in. A deep cut on the left side of his body, blood slowly oozing out between his fingers. A sickeningly familiar picture...  
“Its the same wound...”, Madara mumbled and gained an affirmative hum as an answer.  
“Ironic, isn't it? Seems like its true, everything comes back sooner or later. But that's not the only reason”  
Tobirama's talkativeness was unexpected, but surprisingly, Madara didn't mind.  
“You know... Fighting Izuna was always so... thrilling. At first I thought it was the hatred that riled me up, but... it was excitement. I was so excited to fight Izuna that I heard my blood rushing in my ears the second I saw him on the Battlefield. I enjoyed our rivalry. I-... I never got around to tell him”  
Madara couldn't help but smile a little. The way Tobirama spoke about fighting his beloved younger brother reminded him of how he thought of Hashirama. If ever given the chance, he wouldn't think twice about fighting him again just for the sake of it.

“You probably thought differently, but I never took pride in killing Izuna. I wondered how that happened for a long time... Both of us had many chances to kill each other in battle, but... I guess that day was different”

Tobirama's voice was even more quiet than before, and when he opened his eyes again, even the red of his iris seemed dull. Madara said nothing while the dead man walking indulged in past sins.  
He was still furious over Izuna's murder, but knowing that it haunted Tobirama too was at least some retribution.  
Dull eyes seemed to flare up again when their gazes met once again, and words reached Madara's ears that he never dreamed of hearing.

“I'm sorry... for killing Izuna”

Silence followed, and Tobirama's eyes drifted off to the ground. Thinking that the younger man took his last breath, he reached out quicker than he would ever confess and gently touched his hand that wasn't covering the wound. Only when Tobirama jumped under the touch, involuntarily affirming that he was in fact still somewhat alive, Madara began talking.

“Why didn't you apologize sooner?”, he asked accusingly. What was he thinking, apologizing out of nowhere?! It was too late anyway.  
Tobirama opened his mouth, closed it again, then sighed heavily before he answered:  
“There are a lot of things I regret, Madara”  
A strange answer... But somehow, the Uchiha understood. There has been too much tension between them in the past and...  
Madara couldn't deny that he would have lost his patience if Tobirama even mentioned Izuna back then.

“Isn't it funny”, Madara said after another moment of heavy silence, “that we only seem to get along peacefully now that you are dying?”  
Tobirama nodded, but any answer he had was cut off when pain got a hold of him once again. Dropping his head forward, he gritted his teeth together so he wouldn't scream.  
Not being able to do anything but wait for the Senju's pain to cease again, Madara grabbed Tobirama's free hand and squeezed it, providing at least some support for the dying man.  
He was greeted by pale, bloodied finger that wrapped around his hand in return, and when Tobirama looked up to him once the pain got less, Madara was sure he saw gratitude in his eyes.

Tobirama took a deep breath and leaned his head back against the tree again before he spoke.  
“Maybe... Our generation can only find peace in death...”, he whispered, sounding even more exhausted than before.  
“Nonsense!”, Madara exclaimed. He was still very much alive and would archive the peace he always dreamed of! 'Peace in death', what utter idiocy.  
If he could only show him that he was wrong, if he could save Tobirama's life to prove him wrong, then...  
No. Maybe there was a way... Zetsu was made of Hashirama's cells. With Tobirama being his brother, maybe they'd be compatible enough to treat his wounds...  
“Tobirama...”  
The addressed looked at him again, seemingly surprised at the gentle way Madara said his name.  
“If there was a way to survive... would you let me help you?”

Tobirama laughed. It was a gentle, relaxed laugh.  
“Heavens, no...”, he mumbled, and Madara stared at him as if he misheard.  
“What?”  
“I'm tired, Madara... I'm sick and tired of war and fighting. We fought for most of our lives, I've had enough”  
Madara didn't know how to reply.  
But he didn't have to, Tobirama kept on talking.  
“Huh... It stopped hurting”

Madara held his hand tighter reflexively. Tobirama's time was running out fast. He wanted to say something to cut through the silence that fell over them, to speak over his ragged breath. But what else was there to say between them? Sighing because he couldn't come up with something to say he finally sat down completely next to the Senju, not letting go of the hand for even one moment.

“It will be over soon”, Madara finally said, and took his second hand to place it beneath Tobirama's, covering it completely and holding on tight as the only sort of comforting gesture he could offer. He wondered what made him show so much compassion for his for this man he never got along with, whom he never saw as an ally. But finding a reason had to wait, all his attention was focused on Tobirama.  
Only now the older man realized how cold his hand had gotten. And how _quiet_ he had gotten.  
“Tobirama?”, he whispered and leaned forward a bit, and was surprisingly relieved when he turned his head a bit to look at Madara and gave him a weak smile. So he wasn't dead just yet.  
“Yes?”  
Now, he couldn't just say nothing again.  
“You did well. You gave your life to protect your Students. They would be fools for not being proud of learning under you”  
Tobirama's face softened a bit at the thought of his students.  
“They were... good kids. And turned into... strong Shinobi. I never told anyone except Hashirama, but... Those children were my-... My pride and joy”  
Madara laughed quietly. Tobirama never seemed like someone who worked well with children to him, but apparently, he was wrong.  
Tobirama turned to him again, locking their eyes and gave him another, more gentle smile.  
“Thank you for coming here”  
Madara smiled back at him and nodded in return.  
Despite the fact that they were surrounded by war and enemies, that death was looming over them, this very moment felt so incredibly peaceful. The Sins of the past were temporally forgotten, the Kumo-Nin looking for the Senju lured away from them by Madara's Genjutsu and the only noise surrounding them was the sound of the wind in the trees.

Madara noticed Tobirama's grip on his hand getting looser, and when he looked into the Senju's face again, his eyes were locked on the ground, half closed, white lashes dulling the color of his eyes even more. Slowly, Madara reached out and softly touched Tobiramas cold face, gaining him no response.

Senju Tobirama was dead.

After a few more moments in silence, the Uchiha stood up and reached around the now dead man, lying him on the floor. He looked into his eyes one more time, then carefully closed them forever.

“A Shinobi's body shouldn't fall into the hands of the enemy~”, an inappropriately cheerful voice spoke up from Tobirama's feet, “Want me to take care of him?”  
“No”, Madara ordered with a firm voice. He wouldn't let Zetsu 'dispose' of the Senju.  
This wasn't just anyone. Senju Tobirama was a Shinobi with strength and skill unquestioned. The Second Hokage. It was beneath him to _just_ disappear and never have his body found.  
Oh no.  
And if Madara had to help with that, so it be. It's not like anybody would find out, anyway.  
An honorable rival deserved an honorable end.

He looked over Tobirama's body one last time, then he leaped into the trees until he reached the top. Thanks to his Sharingan he was able to make out the locations of the Kumo-Shinobi, and decided that enough of them were close to be caught in the force of Madaras Jutsu.  
His hands moved quickly to form the seals needed before a powerful Katon-Jutsu set the forest ablaze, burning to ashes everything the flames touched.  
Trees, stones, _bodies._

The day Tobirama died, Madara couldn't quite put a finger on the emotion he felt.  
He wasn't sure what to think of Tobirama after their peaceful interaction planted the wish for more times like that in the back of his mind, peaceful, gentle moments with each other that didn't end in death.  
But more so, he was determined to disprove Tobirama's statement  
For him, there was no 'peace in death'.

He would live long enough to get the peace he wanted.


End file.
